Dental floss container and manipulator



July 7, 1953 M. COHEN DENTAZ'. 'i-"L'oss CONTAINER AND .MANIPI'LIIEIATOR Fi-led Oct. 4. 1951 INVENTOR MAXIMILIAN COHEN, BY

ATTORNEY Patented July 7, 1 953 OFFICE DENTAL FLOSS CONTAINER AND MANIPULATOR Maximilian coheii, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application October 4, 1951, Serial No. 249,758

Claims. (Cl. 132-92) 1 This invention relates to improvements in a dental floss holder.

Broadly, it is an object of the invention to provide a dental floss holder for cleaning the interstices of. the teeth with ease and without danger of injury to the gums.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide both a sanitary dental floss holder protected against foreign material and from the saliva of the mouth when in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cutting edge for the dental floss which also acts as auxiliary gripping means for the dental floss.

Still another object is to provide a holder and a reservoir for dental floss which permits the floss to bridge two prongs in a tautcondition so that it cannot slip and cannot injure the gums, cheeks and tongue in any manner.

Another object is to provide prongs to hold the'dental floss so shaped as to permit the bridged floss to reach all the interdental and intermolar spaces without injury to any part of the mouth and to permit the floss to be quickly unthreaded and rethreaded after use, using only short lengths of the floss.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and at its base. The lower edge '|5 is rounded, as shown at It, so that it will not irritate the cheeks, gums or tongue of the user. Depending from lower edge l5 are a pair of opposed projections I7, which are slightly tapered towards their ends, as shown at l8 and which are slightly thinner' than the thickness of the lower portion I3 to permit the dental floss to become wedged between the projections I1, I! and the upper objects of the invention, reference is had to the i following detailed description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a dental floss holder, with parts broken away.

Fig. 2 is a front perspective view of the holder shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a rear perspective view (the side opthe base I2 itself; The threaded portion 30 has Fig. 7 is an enlarged elevational view of the base from the side opposite Fig. 5. i. Fig. 8 is an enlarged top view of the cap.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the lower end of the cap.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the sents a dental floss holder comprising'a cap and a base l2. The cap II has a hollow lower portion 'l3-with an interior threaded portion I4 part of thebase (as will be more'fully described hereinafter). A slit I9 is provided on one side. of each of the projections H to wedge the floss therein for further gripping.

The upper part of the cap I I has a large toothlike prong or projection 2| and a smaller prong 22. Each of the prongs 2| and 22 are slightly tapered towards the upper ends and the sides are rounded so as not to injure the gums and cheeks of the user. The extreme tops of prongs 2| and22 are slitted, as shown at 23 and 24, re-

larger prong 2| has its outer edge or side 21 slightly convexly curved while the smaller prong 22 has its outer side 28 in a vertical plane (for reasons as will be hereinafter explained).

The base I2 is hollow to receive and house, a spool of dental floss. Its upper end has a shoulder 29 which acts as a stop for cap II and anexteriorly threaded upper portion 30 somewhat less in diameter than that of the upper part of a vertical channel or groove 3| running slightly below the shoulder 29 for the dental floss to pass out of the base l2. The threaded portion 3|) coacts with the interiorly threaded portion of the capll to seat the cap ||upon thebase I2. The base I2 tapers downward, as shown in the figures and may be serrated, grooved or ribbed (not shown) to provide a firmer or better grip for the fingers, if desired. Embedded in the upper wall of the base, below the shoulder 29, is a piece of metal 32 having an angular cutting member 33 bent outwardly and which may be used either to cut or hold the dental floss.

The threads M, 30 are so arranged that the cutting member 33 and thechannel 3| appear slightly. to the left of the projections, H, II.

In threading the holder -the spool of dental floss is placed within the hollow base [2 with the thread running through the channel 3 l. The floss is then wedged beneath projection I1 and drawn upward into the slit I9; then the floss is laid into groove 28 and then into slit 23. The floss then bridges the two prongs 2i and 22 and is laid into slit 2s and channel or groove 25;

then into slit ii! and it is then drawn beneath projection ii and wedged between this projection and the upper part of the base below the shoulder E9 and is then also wedged between the cutting member and the metal piece 32. Of course, the dental floss is tightly "drawn during the process of threading so that the floss which bridges the prongs 2!, Z2 is very taut. Since the floss is wedged between both projections l1 and the upper part of the base an'clinth'c's1its 23, 2 3 and slits it and between the cutting member 33 and metal piece 32, that is, at seven places, it is held extremely taut and provides a floss bridge which is 'in'im'ov'abl'eior all practical purposes of cleaning theinters'tices between the teeth.

After thete'eth ha'V'e b-een cleaned'it isa simple matter to u'nw'edge theflo'ss, out the unwanted part at the cutting inember i3 andrethread the floss for iuture'or additionaluse.

It has been explained that prong 21 ishigher than prong EB so that the floss bridges the two teeth at angle. Also that prong 2! is converily curved while prong 22 is vertical at the outer portions. These contours permitthe holder or device to move the bridged floss in almost every d rection, that is, straigh't'up and down for'ariteor teeth, upand down-for posterior teeth and "daily niake an'y desired angle changesfor the upper andjlower t'eeth without injuringthe gums,

che ks and tongue.

s obvious that various changes "and modi iiconsniay be inade in the details of construeticn ngernent of parts without departing the general spirit of the invention.

I claim: a

l. A den'talfioss'holder comprising a hollow cap and a hollowba'sefor housing a spool of dental floss, said cap having its lower hollow portion interiorly threaded and its lower outer edge "in; a-pair'oi'opp'osed projections depending 'lo'wenedge for wedg'ingsaid dental saidprojections and said base, said proiectic lot 'c p and tapered at theinner lower ends to'c rectthe'fiossbetween said projections said base, a vertical slit in the lower'e'dge said cap adjacent one side of ea'ch'oi said projections for wedging in said'dental floss, the upper part of 'saidcap'having a large prohgand a smaller prong substantially in'the same plane, 1 d prongs tapered towards the upper ends and ,ing rounded sides, the tops of each'of said s having a slit to permit said dental floss a bridge'between said prongsahd to hold -said dental floss therein, a shallow said-prongs'p'etween ne slitof 'saidprongsand adjacentfsaidprojection to house the dental floss below the'piane of theoute'r surface of said prongs, *saidlarger prong having its outer face co 'veirly curved, said smaller prong having 1 i in substantially a vertical plane,

' egan upper shoulder acting as a stop for said cap an'dan exterioriy threaded upper portion smaller-in diameter than the u'pper part of said base-to "ct-with said interiorly threaded port-loner s'a cap-for'seatingsaid cap thereon, ;a vertical cha-nriel in said exteriorly threaded gh'tiy'thinner than the thickness of portion running from its outer edge to slightly below said shoulder for passing said dental floss from within said base to the outside, a cutting and floss holding member at the upper part of said base below said shoulder opposite said vertical channel, said cutting member and said vertical channel being adjacent said projections when said cap is on saiclbase, whereby said dental floss may be threaded through the lower part of said vertical channel, beneath one of said projections, through a slit adjacent said projection, through the slits of said prongs and through the slit and behind the opposite said projection and behind said cutting member to firmly hold said floss inposition bridging said two prongs.

2. A dental floss holder comprising a hollow cap and a hollow base for housing a spool of dental floss, said cap adapted to be seated upon the upper part of said base, a pair of opposed projections depending from the lower edge of said cap for wedgin'g said dental floss betweensaid projections and said base, a verticalslit in the loweredge or" said cap adjacent one side of each of said projections for wedging in said dental fl'ossfthe upper part'of said'eap having alarge prong and a smaller prongsubstantially in the plane, the tops or each of said prongs having aslit to permit said dental floss to form-a bridge between said prongs and to hold and wedge said dental-floss therein, 'a 'sliailow angular chanr l on each of the outer faces of said prongs between the slit of said prongsand the slit adjacent said projection to house the dental floss below the plane of the outer surface of said prongs, said larger prong having its outer face convexly curved, said smaller prong having its outer face in substantially a vertical plane, said base having an upper shouideracting as a stop for said cap, a vertical channel in the upper part of said running from its outer edge to slightly below said shoulderim passing said dental floss within said base to the outside, a cutting and iloss holding member at the upper part of said base below said shoulder opposite said vertical channel, said cutting member and said vertical channel be adjacent saidprojectionswhen said cap is on said base, whereby said dental floss may threaded through the'lower part of said vertical channel, beneath one of said projections, through a slit cent said projections, through the slits of said prongs'and through the slit and behind the opposite said projection and behind said cutting member to firmly hold 'saidfloss in position bridging said two prongs.

3. -A dental floss holder "comprising a hollow cap and a hollow base for housing a'spoolof dental floss, said cap adapted to be seated upon the upper part of said-base, a pair of opposed projections depending from the lower edge of said cap for wed'gingsaiddentalfloss between said projections and said base, theupper'part of said cap having large prongand a smaller prong substantiailyin the same plane, the top of'each of said prongs having aslit to permit' said dental floss to form a bridge between'said prongs and to holda'nd wedge-said dentaliioss therein-said larger prong having its outer face convexly curved, said smaller prong having its outer'face in substantially a vertical plane, said base having an upper shoulder acting as a stop for said cap, a vertical channel in the upper part of said base slightly belowsaid shoulderfor passing saidjdental floss from Within said base to'theo'utsidefa cutting an'd' floss holding -'member at the upper part of said-base below said shoulder, said cutting member and said vertical channel being adjacent 1 said projections'when said cap is on said base, whereby said dental floss may be threaded through the lower part of said vertical channel, beneath one of said projections, through the slits of said prongs, and behind said cutting member to firmly hold said floss in position bridging said twoprongs. Y

4. A dental floss holder comprisinga' hollow cap and a hollow base for housing a spool of dental floss, said cap adapted-to be seated upon the upper part of said base, a pair of opposed projec-r tions depending from the lower edge of said cap for wedging said dental floss between said projec- 1 tions and said base, the upper part of said cap having a large prong and a smaller prong substantially in the same plane, the tops of each of said prongs having a slit to permit said dental floss to form a bridge between said prongs, said base having an uppershoulder acting as a stop for said cap, an Opening in the upper partof said Y 1 Number hind said cutting member to firmly 1101a said floss in position bridging said two prongs.

5. A dental floss holder comprising a cap and a hollow 'base for housing a spool of dental floss, said cap adapted to be seated upon the upper part of said base, a pair of opposed projections depending from the lower edge of said cap, the upper part of said cap having a large prong and a smaller prong, the tops of each of said prongs having a slit to permit said dental floss to form a bridge between said prongs, an opening in the upper part of said base for passing said dental floss from within said base to the outside, a cutting member at the upper part of said base, whereby said dental floss may be threaded through said opening beneath one of said projections,- through the slits of said prongs, and behind said cutting member to firmly hold said floss in position bridging said two prongs.

MAXIMILIAN COHEN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 1,239,633 Stickler Sept. 11, 1917 1,368,555 Henerlau Feb. 15, 1921 1,498,853 Oliver June 24, 1924 

